


An Unlikely Seduction

by Mihkail



Series: To Duel With Fate [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-31
Updated: 2013-04-09
Packaged: 2017-12-07 01:01:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/742272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mihkail/pseuds/Mihkail
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sakura swallows her pride and pays Sasuke a visit to apologize for something she had done the previous day, only for fate to throw her face-to-face and alone with his infamous older brother, Itachi Uchiha. Pleasantries unravel into a heated debate, and the mounting tension climaxes into the unfathomable. [One-shot][Non-mass]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Pleasure to Meet You

**Author's Note:**

> This one-shot is the result of a rather nasty virus that had left me with plenty of spare time to kill for a couple of weeks. I apologize for any typos and grammatical errors I may have overlooked.

_Tap, tap, tap..._

Sakura's knuckles beat softly against the door a second time, less enthusiastically than the first.

Silence.

Pale veridian, once anxious and expectant, drifted slowly down the door to the wooden porch. Her nerves began to calm as a blanket of gloom crept over her, weighing heavier as the time passed. She'd only been there a minute or so, but it felt like several more.

The gentle pattering of cool rain behind her did nothing to heighten her mood, as it meant she'd have a long, drenched walk home. It had started out a light sprinkle when she had entered Uchiha territory—sectioned off, but not alienated from the rest of Konoha.

She could hear no sign of life from the other side of the door. Sasuke's door. Well, his family's door.

On one hand, she was a little relieved. Trying to hold a serious conversation with him, one where he actually participated, instead of answering 'hn.' to everything she said, was like trying to walk on eggshells. Damn near impossible at times. On the other hand, her nervousness would only be prolonged until she found another chance to speak to him.

This time it would be harder than usual, though...because this time, she knew she needed to apologize. It wasn't something she did very often, because honestly, she never needed to. Well, in her opinion, she didn't. Not because she was too stuck up, but because she always tried so hard not to give anyone a reason to need an apology from her. Sure, she got in minor cat fights with Ino sometimes—that girl was so full of herself—and sure, sometimes she smacked Naruto around—he was such a perv!—but that was it.

She wasn't a mean person. She didn't even like to argue. Yeah, she would, in order to stand up for something she believed in, but...

It was just so hard to understand him. He didn't make it easy for her.

She had lost it yesterday. Ripped him a new one loud enough to turn the heads of every villager within the block. At first, she hadn't regretted it. She had told him exactly what she felt he needed to hear, and exactly what she needed to get off her chest, but...but then...

There was nothing to gain by losing face in public like that. Airing their dirty laundry in front of everyone. She had only herself to blame, too.

And so here she was, swallowing her pride.

Swallowing it in vain, perhaps. If she was lucky, she could avoid him slamming a door in her face the next time she found him.

Why couldn't he just make  _sense_  for once! Then she could stop being so frustrated with him all the time. He was like a closed book wrapped up with barbed wire and paper bombs.

Sakura turned around, sandals shuffling quietly along the clean porch as she faced the downpour that awaited her. Her eyes narrowed glumly as she cursed her luck, and a roll of thunder boomed overhead.

Before she could take her first step, the front door slid open behind her suddenly. A rush of nerves reawakened within her, and she spun around more hastily than she meant to.

"Sasuke, I—..."

She froze as she stared up at the man almost a head taller than her teammate. Eyes of coal blinked slowly down at her, wisps of dark hair falling loose from his ponytail and framing his pale face. A robe in shades of black and midnight blue adorned him, with the familiar Uchiha crest close to his shoulder.

Her mouth was left to hang open as she took him in, feeling a bit foolish...yet unaware that she looked even more foolish as she gawked. His face was decidedly tired looking, more so than usual. Soft creases drew up his cheeks to a half-lidded gaze as he stared right back at her silently. Waiting.

Sputtering as she attempted to shake herself from her daze, she blurted, "Itachi!"

His eyes followed her movements as she bowed low before him. Stoic at first, he had a way of easily instilling her with a sense of exposure as she hovered there, unsure of what to do next. Clearly she hadn't been expecting him, of all people, to open the door. Like he didn't also live there, or anything... Silly girl.

"I'm sorry if I—...did I wake you? I was just...mm...I was looking for Sasuke." She fumbled as she rose up, curiously innocent eyes meeting his ever calm ones. With the time it had taken for him to answer the door, the look he greeted her with, and his rather comfortable looking attire, she could only assume he'd been napping. It was only mid-morning, but she knew his schedule was different from theirs. He was a busy man, and she rarely caught a glimpse of him. She couldn't guess what kind of missions he was assigned, and consequently, what kind of hours he kept.

The seconds blended into eternity as she endured the weight of his gaze, and tried not to fidget too much. They lingered briefly over the pastel pink of her short hair, and down the slope of her pale neck to the cream colored yukata she wore, painted with a floral pattern of yellow and blue. The semblance of a porcelain doll. So uncharacteristically feminine of her, truly...and it dipped lower than it should for someone her age.

When he failed to answer her, Sakura felt the first sign of a cold sweat tickle down her back. She was acutely aware of her reaction, yet unable to understand it, much to her frustration. He was her elder, Sasuke's brother, and largely unfamiliar to her, but why in the world was she feeling so jittery?

She couldn't take it anymore.

"I-I'm Sasuke's te-"

"I know who you are, Sakura-."

Her throat tightened when he interrupted her, and a sense of inferiority crushed into her chest, making her feel as if she shrunk another foot under him.

And yet, she vaguely wondered how he knew her name. She couldn't recall ever introducing herself to him before. Every once in a while she'd see him in passing, but she'd never even spoken to him until now. Did...did that mean Sasuke talked about her sometimes?

"Oh.." She peeped quietly, tearing her eyes from his to glance away awkwardly.

Hearing him sigh, she nearly turned and fled right then and there, overwhelmed with embarrassment—half of which she still couldn't comprehend—but then she heard the door shift again, and saw him step to the side from the corner of her eye.

"My apologies, where are my manners?"

Her eyes shot wide and flickered back to him intently at the sound of his soft voice, witnessing him grace her with a shallow bow, and outstretch his arm to offer her the open doorway.

"Sasuke isn't home right now, but please...come in."

Flitting between his bowing head and offering hand, she blinked one too many times in her confused state, and then stuttered like a hopeless little girl at her first day of ninja school.

"O-oh, uhm...o-ok!"

The main hall was cool and dim as she entered, leaving her sandals by the front door. The rain continued its muffled symphony on the roof above them, providing the only sound that could fill the cryptic void between their exchanges. Her heart was still beating slightly faster than it should, but she was somewhat reassured now.

It was then, as she gazed around in wonder at the family portraits and heirlooms sparsely decorating their immaculately kept rooms and walkways, that she realized this was the first time she'd even been inside Sasuke's home.

It was also then, as she faintly heard the front door shift closed behind her, that she realized she was alone with Uchiha Itachi, whom she knew almost nothing about, and had only found him admirable and somehow intimidating even from a distance.

"Y-you have a lovely home." She forced cheerfully as she turned, flashing him a smile.

His dark eyes settled on her as he faced her with another silent pause...one that brewed a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach. It was like he could see right through her without even trying, and it made her want to squirm. But  _what_  he was actually seeing left her clueless...and that, she decided, was the most nerve-racking part.

"Thank you." He murmured, and wandered slowly past her and down the hall, leaving her eyes to trace after him as she swallowed thickly.

"Would you like some tea?" Calling over his shoulder, she nearly tripped over the hem of her yukata as she lifted it to follow him clumsily.

Seriously, what was wrong with her? She was never like this.

"Sure!"

It sounded more enthusiastic than she'd meant for it to, unintentionally overcompensating for the uncertainty and nervousness that plagued her. And if he hadn't been walking right in front of her, she would've face-palmed.

She followed him into a room with a low, empty table in the center, and let him guide her to one of the crimson square cushions surrounding it. Smoothing the fabric against the back of her legs, she flattened it and sat down on her knees, attempting to appear as casual and comfortable as she possibly could. Of course this was no big deal, so she shouldn't feel like it was. She was simply waiting for Sasuke to come back and...hopefully she could squeeze a sentence or two from him before he threw her out.

The older Uchiha stopped in front of the doors next to her, and slid them both open to reveal the porch, and a lush garden with a koi pond beyond, with a wooden bridge arching over top. The raindrops speckled the glassy pond, blurring the drifting shapes of orange and white below its surface.

"What would you like?"

It took a moment for her head to swivel back in his direction, captivated by the scene as she was. She suddenly felt so formal...like a true guest.

"Hm? Oh, uhmm..." And there she goes sounding like an incompetent oaf again.

"Do you have jasmine tea?"

With a quick nod, he turned and left her sight, abandoning her in a room lit only by the cool, reflecting lights of the garden at her side. Her nerves relaxed almost instantly, lulling her into a state of peace and wonder that hadn't comforted her in quite some time.

Now, she almost felt guilty for being so jittery in front of him...as if it was an insult. With this kind of treatment, it was somewhat rude of her, wasn't it? Granted, she hadn't been able to control it, but still...it made her feel a little ridiculous. In the least, he seemed to have more manners than Sasuke after all—that brat.

Even so, she couldn't suppress the butterflies that whirled around inside her whenever she thought of him. As blunt and cold as he could be, she cared about him...probably far more than she should. Enough that she couldn't help but walk all the way here just to apologize for going off on him about something that, honestly, he really did need to hear.

By the time he returned, she had all but fallen into a meditation. Staring out into the red leaves of the maple tree that reached over the pond, casting its shadow where some of the koi huddled, the pink and blue flowers that encircled the borders...man, she wished her parents had enough money for one of these. She could sit there all day and sip tea with a view like that.

The soft clink of an iron teapot setting on the table in front of her drew her attention back to reality. The steam wafted upward as he filled her small, handle-less cup almost to the brim. The mild, floral scent filled the room, and she was unable to keep a smile off her face as she took the cup with both hands and held it to her...heedless of the stealthy, dissecting gaze that explored her features.

"How did you know my name? If...if you don't mind me asking. I mean, this is the first time we've met, I think."

Her speech was slower, sounding more sure of herself and renewed with courage as she looked up at him. As to be expected, he didn't answer immediately. Instead, he poured himself a cup, and settled down on the cushion opposite her.

In his thoughtful pause, she wondered how strange it was to be sitting there so close to him—the man Sasuke looked up to above all others, and worked so hard to impress—alone in their own home...as if they'd been close friends for years already, when they were hardly acquaintances. She also wondered why he would bother to entertain her. Surely he could have left her to wait for Sasuke by herself. But...that would have been a bit inconsiderate, she supposed.

The Uchiha let the flashes of memories unfold as he relaxed under her watchful eyes. Ah yes, he did know her. He knew probably much more than she thought he ever could, and probably much more than she ever wanted him to. He was an ANBU, after all. One of his top priorities was gathering intel, and he was so advanced at it by now that it was a natural talent of his, even when he wasn't working. He noticed things most others did not. Things that were so subtle, yet so important. He noticed people that had glimpsed him so rarely they'd never remember him. People like her...Haruno Sakura.

And he'd witnessed her interactions with his younger brother many a time. Sasuke never spoke of her, but he knew exactly who she was...and he knew how hopelessly in love with him she was, and how it ate away at her nibble by nibble, consuming her so slowly she'd never get the chance to save herself.

That's why she was here today. She loved him. She would do anything for him. She was an absolute, spell-bound fool, that came crawling to beg forgiveness for something she likely needn't be redeemed for at all. Something so unnecessary, or something that had never been her fault to begin with.

Hell, she would even agree that the sky was purple, if Sasuke insisted it was.

That's the kind of girl Sakura was. He could read her plain as day.

Part of him took pity on her.

Part of him cringed in annoyance at the thought of someone as emotionally weak as her.

Part of him wanted to burst from his traditional stoic demeanor and literally slap some sense into her.

And part of him...found his eyes slipping up the length of the table, past the iron pot, and exploring the the sharp neckline of her yukata, and the slender throat that craned above it.

When his eyes climbed to meet her again, betraying not a single one of his thoughts, he found her head cocked slightly, as she stared back at him with an openness and innocence that stirred something foreign within him.

Or perhaps foreign wasn't the right description. No... This was something he'd felt before. Not on a regular basis, but he still recognized it.

Feral. That was the word. Something basic and instinctual.

Shutting his eyes briefly to recollect himself, he began with a deceivingly bland, yet polite tone.

"Sasuke has mentioned you."

He lied...and then instantly regretted it as he saw her face light up, yet she was clearly trying to seem less ecstatic than she truly was to hear those words.

"He's mentioned you too..."

She smiled fondly and looked down at her tea, mood increased dramatically by the false hope that had been fed to her.

"He's always talking about how powerful you are, and how fast you learn... He says he's going to be as good as you one day."

She took a sip finally, missing the faint smirk that touched him.

Her eyes clouded as thoughts of yesterday returned then, and the reason she was here in the first place.

"He can be so...so stubborn sometimes, though." A small voice admitted, beginning her slow tumble down a treacherous path as the older Uchiha listened quietly.

"I know he trains more than Naruto and I do, and I know he's good...but he doesn't have to be so arrogant. Like he's better than us. He's such a loner too, when we're on missions... Even if he doesn't  _need_  us, we're still a team!"

She paused briefly to sip at her tea.

"I remember when we were little, and...and he...he was nicer then. We'd play tag sometimes, and...he was always faster than me, and sometimes I'd get mad, but...it was still fun."

She was gone now, sinking deeper and deeper into her own self-absorbed world as a collage of images bombarded her. Still, he listened patiently.

"See, that's what I don't get. He was stronger than we were even then, but he wasn't such an...such an  _ass!_ He was fun to be around, and didn't act like I was a pest all the time. _"_

An angry sigh puffed from her nose. She hadn't even noticed his untouched cup of tea left sitting on the table.

"He changed so suddenly. Now when he looks at me, he seems so cold. He just doesn't—"

"—give you enough attention."

He finished her sentenced, causing her to look up in surprise, ripping her from her selfish rant.

Before she knew it, a light blush was spreading over her cheeks, and she froze under his stare...hard and knowing. The kind of stare Kakashi sometimes gave her when reprimanding her. Once again, she was left feeling inferior.

"W-well...I...I didn't mean... I don't  _need_  his attention. I just... It's not like  _that_  or anything—"

"Sakura..."

Her lips seals shut, and she hesitantly looked up at him, resembling a scolded puppy. It would've made him chuckle under his breath if he hadn't felt the sting of irritation. She was so immature in so many ways...far too immature for the accentuating yukata she wore. It bestowed upon her a false sophistication and allure she shouldn't possess. How old was she anyway...fifteen? Ah, his mind was wandering out of bounds again.

"You make it quite obvious."

"Wh...what quite obvious?" She asked warily.

"I can see you drool over him a mile away. Everyone can."

If her eyes had grown any wider, they would've popped out of her skull. The blush surged over her, staining her a vibrant fuscia as her rattled nerves returned, and she felt even more exposed than when he had first opened the door on her.

Okay, so it wasn't a secret, really. Naruto and Ino were well aware of her one-sided affection for Sasuke. But  _Itachi_? How could  _he_  know?! Oh Kami...this was so embarrassing. She didn't want  _him_ to know!

But...why?

She couldn't think of a good reason. It was just so weird. He was his older brother! He wasn't supposed to know about her unrequited love!

"I-I'm sorry... I shouldn't have rambled like that. He's your younger brother and...I shouldn't be—" She shut her eyes tightly and sighed, falling silent. A slight frown tugged at her lips, and the look of shame and frustration claimed her as obviously as the redness in her cheeks.

Itachi observed every detail of her. The childish pout, the ceaseless longing she didn't know how to cope with, her awkwardness...an awkwardness she was even aware of, and didn't know how to change.

In a swift motion that surprised even him a little, she clanked her teacup loudly onto the wooden table and leaned forward with her face in her hands, overcome with a whirlwind of emotion.

"I just want to know why...  _Why_  am I not good enough?!"

She couldn't stop herself. A voice in the back of her mind pleaded with her to shut her big fat mouth, but she couldn't. She didn't know what had overcome her. There she was, spilling her own intimate feelings to a man that quite frankly scared her, and probably just looked down on her, like Sasuke did...feelings she didn't even share with Ino. But she just couldn't stop. It was like an avalanche that couldn't be restrained once it broke free.

Itachi said nothing. She didn't know whether to be relieved, or to feel even more ashamed of herself to be left with only the rain to answer her outburst.

But what could he tell her anyway? What did she honestly expect him to say? If she were in his shoes, she'd probably just dismiss herself and get the hell out of there before she was buried by the baggage.

"He will never love you, Sakura."

The words sank into her like merciless daggers, torturing her as much as they stunned her...the last words she had ever wanted to hear...and they left her gripping tightly into her pink hair as she struggled to regain control over her emotions, and suppress the tears that crept behind her shut eyes.

"You're not an Uchiha."

Time stood still. Her mind focused sharply, hanging onto his next, equally unexpected words that doused the pain she had felt, and overshadowed it with a rush of curiosity, then disbelief, and finally indignation.

"... _What_?"

It fells as a near whisper. Her hands slipped away, revealing the intensity in her eyes as she scrutinized him. Anger churned inside her, warming her chest into a tangible sensation as she felt the heat prick over her skin. How could he say something like that? She wasn't an Uchiha? What did that have to do with anything? How should that matter?!

For a split second, his steely black gaze seemed apologetic, yet if he regretted the statement, he gave no voice to it.

He glanced down at the small pink lips that flapped wordlessly, clamoring to find the right sentence to begin her rant as she scoffed and leaned away from the table...but he started first.

"Forgive my lack of tact, but I'm telling you this for your own good. Sasuke is a member of the Uchiha clan, and a promising one at that."

Sakura blanched as she listened to him.

"He has no business wasting his energy chasing girls at the moment, and any interest he does show in the future will be to another suitable member of our clan. Sakura, you are not an Uchiha. It is within your best interest to accept this fact now, and move on."

She was floored. And he took the opportunity she gave him to continue educating her—as he would put it.

"Of course, there are some Uchihas that date and inevitably marry outside of our clan, but such will not be the case with Sasuke. When the time comes for him to settle down, which won't be for a while, he will do as our father expects him. I'm sorry, Sakura..."

The girl, who looked so much younger than him, jumped up from her comfortable seat and threw her hands in the air in exasperation and denial. A whirl of yellow and blue swished past as she turned her back on him to face the wall, fists clenching at her sides as a rage filled her.

Itachi held back a sigh as he watched her as calmly as ever, keeping any sign of emotion he felt to himself, as was his tendency.

She was shaking lightly, he noted. Not taking the news well at all...but that was no surprise. One day, hopefully sooner rather than later, she would realize that his cruel words had done her a service.

"What does an Uchiha have that I don't?!" She nearly shouted as she spun back around, forgetting the fear and respect she'd once held for him when her fiery nature seized the spotlight.

The black orbs that met her were just like his...just like Sasuke's...judging her, underestimating her. Who the hell did they think they were?

"You know, I can see it now..." Her eyes narrowed suddenly as she glared at him.

"Yeah. It makes sense. You're the reason he acts the way he does. He gets his arrogance from  _you_."

Their staring contest broke when he looked down, more in disappointment than defeat. The muscles of his jaw flexed in the dim light as he clenched lightly. She was completely misunderstanding him and blowing this all out of proportion.

"Sakura, please sit down."

"No!"

She pouted, arms crossing defensively over her chest as she turned to face the serene garden that painted a perfect picture of beauty, finesse, structure...everything she currently lacked.

"To expect him to marry someone just because they're a clan member... What if he doesn't want to? How could you do that to him?!"

"Sasuke will never be pressured by me to do anything." He corrected her passively.

"He can choose to love whomever he wants. But in the end, he will marry within our clan. It's just as much his choice as it is our father's. He will follow our tradition."

The calm, half-lidded stare wandered up the length of her jutting hip and lingered around the snugly crossed arms that did nothing more than enhance her childish aura...and yet, consequently endowed her with cleavage she had lacked when they had been resting at her sides moments ago. It was small, but he could see the swell of her chest spilling above her forearms, and the soft sloping crease that peaked from the parting V in her yukata. Did she even know she hadn't wrapped it properly? It wasn't intended to be as revealing as it was...and he found it increasingly difficult to tear his eyes from the sight of her.

A scowl answered him as she stared angrily through the short, brightly colored trees ahead, refusing to look at him.

"This was a mistake. I never should have come here."

Another whirl of color signaled her retreat as she made for the door, storming past him and the unfinished tea at their small table.

"I am more woman than he can handle anyway."

The last, sharp huff she gave under her breath bound her to a fate she never could have seen coming. Not from a mile away, if the signs had been there. She was too naïve, and indeed, too immature to see.

But she could feel, and when his hand caught her by the arm and spun her into the wall, she felt an eruption of contrasting emotions and instinctive fear that she wasn't prepared for.

The hallway that offered her source of escape had disappeared in a blue of shadows as she was ripped off balance, and her back thumped against the wooden wall of the tearoom. She was overwhelmed in an instant, and acutely conscious of her physical position, and the position of a once reserved and standoffish Uchiha now rendering her immobile.

Her heart thundered in her chest while her breath ceased in her throat. She was facing the garden once more, but her vision was dominated by the eyes of Itachi, black and boring into her so intently that she forgot how to inhale. His breath was hot, and it wafted over her face in a bath of steam.

Each of his hands held a firm grip on each of her wrists, and they were keeping them pinned to the wood behind her, leaving his chest to press into hers.

"You boast as if you could possibly know what it is to  _be_  a woman,  _Sakura_."

She couldn't react. Even if she could, she wouldn't know how to. All of her attention was sucked into the feeling of him pressing into her, warming her as his form smothered hers from head to toe, keeping her still against the wall.

Clearly, something had snapped within him. And yet, he somehow possessed the same amount of control that he had earlier. It was just...his intent had spun completely off course... There had been no warning. She hadn't stood a chance, and she had no idea what to do in this a situation like this, with someone like him...of all people.

"H-..how..."

The impossibly soft syllable was a near squeak when he heard it, and he watched her swallow with difficulty.

"How would  _you_  know..."

They were words that ought to have been fired from a much more confident and sassy girl, but it took everything she had left just to force them past her lips...and somehow, they sounded so innocent as she stared doe-eyed at him.

He listened to her pounding pulse as he studied her. She was so terrified, and so much more naïve than she could ever begin to understand, really.

Leaning closer to her, she tensed, and a flurry of panic raged through her as it registered that he was about to kiss her...but then his cheek brushed along hers gently, and she exhaled audibly, left to stare past him.

"Is that an invitation?" His deep voice vibrated into her ear, causing her to gasp, and another, true squeak of alarm piped from her throat involuntarily.

"Wh-what..."

The frail whisper was lost over his shoulder, and he pulled back enough for his breath to ghost down her chest with the tilt of his head.

"Your yukata is too revealing. Your mother shouldn't have let you leave the house." His statement murmured close to her skin, sending a chill down her spine as her mind struggled to understand what was happening to her.

Without warning, a shift of fabric and the lightest of tugs guided the sash around her waist to loosen, before falling away, quicker than she could realize that one of her wrists had been set free in the motion. A strangled cry burst from her in shock, and her able hand made a dive to smack him away from her instinctively, but he caught her again and pinned her once more firmly to the wall with a thud.

A sinking dread overcame her as she felt the long flaps of floral print glide open, revealing a bare strip of flesh down the center of her chest and abdomen, and below, a patch of blue panties. The sash pooled at her feet.

Her weight shifted as he held onto her, as if she was trying to slide down the wall to the ground and hide herself from him, but he wouldn't let her go. He had only just begun...

Goosebumps tightened over her skin as she felt his eyes roam over her freely. She was at a loss for words, and could merely gape at him in crippling bewilderment.

He pulled back, letting his eyes travel back up to meet hers, serving to trap her within their hypnotic depths while one hand dared to release her, and resurface beneath one flap of her robe. She felt it, yet her muscles were as limber as concrete, save for the light, reflexive twitching of her waist reacting at the touch of his warm fingers and cool air.

His palm pet slowly up the side of her ribcage, and cupped the swell of her small, bare breast beneath the silky cloth. The pad of his thumb tickled lightly over the tender button of flesh, and he leaned down to drop a feather of a kiss on her throat.

The simplest touches sent her slacking in his grip as she seemed to lose the ability to stand upright, and a fearful cry echoed in the room.

She felt his lips pause, and a smile grazed her neck as he lingered there.

"You've never been touched by a man."

His conclusion was quiet, confident, and accusing...and she was unable to argue with him as a desperate, shamed whimper was all she could muster.

He was right. He had won. Now he could let her go, and she could scurry on her way and never, ever bother him again. Or anyone in the Uchiha clan, for that matter. She'd stay far away from their section of the village from this day forward, like a good girl. Yes, she'd learned her lesson.

But his last grip on her wrist hadn't budged, and neither had the presence of his lips resting on her neck.

"S-Sasuke..."

He paused at the name.

"He will b-be home soon...you said...h-he's coming back." It was a pathetic attempt to get him to release her, but it was all she could think of at the moment. No matter how annoying Sasuke thought she was, surely he'd never put up with his brother touching her like this. Would he...?

Teeth replaced lips as he grinned into her throat.

"I never said he was coming back." He corrected her.

"I said he wasn't home right now. Sasuke won't return for a few days. He's on a mission."

The young girl's chest heaved in a panic as the news sank into her, like a punch in the gut. In a flight of terror, she strained and thrashed against him, trying to break free. Back arching off the wall, she threw herself into him and yanked her wrist down, only to have him push her back against the wall and seize control of her arms, locking them in front of her chest and between them as he wrapped his arms around her, effectively stilling her moments, as his strength surpassed hers.

"What are you afraid of, Sakura? I thought you were more woman than he could handle." His husky voice teased into her ear.

Gritting her teeth, she shut her eyes and submitted to defeat in his arms. She couldn't move anymore, not with the way he clamped her down.

"You!" She gave a weak, shaky cry, and a single tear streaked soundlessly down her cheek.

"Shhhh..." The constriction around her shoulders and waist slackened slowly, and she shuddered as warm lips caught the tear before it could reach her jaw.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"Then let me go!" Forcing the strength to return to her voice, she pleaded loudly with him.

For she couldn't command him. Not anymore. It had taken him only a few short seconds to prove to her how helpless she was...how little she could truly protect herself.

"No."

The answer thickened her heart into stone, and sent her insides squirming fearfully.

"Why?" A hoarse whisper returned, snuffing out the strength she had fought to hard to regain.

The weight of his chest disappeared, and he put just enough distance between them that she could manage to look up into his eyes. His hands pulled her arms open, and drifted to the flaps of her robe, slowly pulling them open to glide down her shoulders.

For a second time, she lost the ability to breathe, feeling the damp air of the room collide against her bare chest and thighs. In one simple motion, she was left in nothing but pale blue panties as the fabric cascaded down to the floor, collecting around her in a useless heap that once protected her.

Her hands balled into fists and retreated to her chest as she plastered herself against the wall of her own volition.

"I'm going to help you forget about him."

Pale lips opened to speak, but no words came, and she was paralyzed as he pried her arms open and drew her into his chest. Broad hands spread over her naked back, kneading gentle patterns into her, and slowly relaxing her muscles as his mouth returned to her neck. Patches of searing hot and chilling cold made her shiver as his tongue lapped over her, tasting her from just below her earlobe down to the slope of her shoulder, then to the front of her neck beneath her chin, and to the opposite side.

It took mere seconds for her to notice a creeping warmth nestle between her legs, growing steadily hotter as a tingling sensation she wasn't very used to spread inside her. Confusing her just as much as his actions.

How was this evening happening...? No amount of words could convey the extent of her confusion and shock. This man was touching her in ways she honestly hadn't even imagined before. Not only that, but she hardly knew him, and he was  _Sasuke's brother_...and...and the feeling...inside of her... She couldn't even understand if it was good or bad anymore. It was impossible to explain, yet so intense. Dominating her senses and poisoning her mind.

She wanted to scream and cry, beg him to leave her alone, because she couldn't take it anymore...but all that came out was a soft, uncertain moan as he hit a certain spot at the base of her neck, close to her collar bone.

"Itachi...?" She called meekly, sounding so unsure.

"Just relax." His purr heated her skin, and she felt his hands curve over the slope of her ass and down the backs of her thighs as he slid lower, planting kisses down the center of her chest, between her breasts. A hot tongue lathered her, sweeping across the pink bud and sending a taste of electric ecstasy dancing through her as her head fell back.

His lips latched onto her, sucking her into his mouth while his tongue continued to tease. A gasping squeak strained from her, but it did nothing to prepare her for the touch of his hand that spread up her inner thigh, and caressed her veiled, virgin lips.

"Ah! No!" She yelped suddenly and tried to pull away from him, blushing furiously as the sensation of his hand lingered even after she shifted out of his reach, and made her feel even stranger.

She didn't get far, as he reigned her between his chest and the wall, and rose up to look into her eyes. Her lips parted as she felt them brush against his. He kissed her tenderly, stopping her in her tracks as his breath mingled with hers.

"Let me touch you, Sakura." He whispered into her, and kissed her again with a feathery touch, forcing her to betray her own common sense as he warped her with a timid desire.

She couldn't look away from him, and found that every time their gazes locked, she lost the will to move as well.

The feel of his hand gliding tantalizingly slow over her belly was impossible to ignore, and she sucked in a ragged breath as he dipped below the hem of her panties, and cupped her, running his fingers over, and then between the bare, silken lips. Never letting his eyes drop from hers.

She was already wet...but that didn't come as a surprise. It was no secret that she was a virgin. Did she even touch herself, he wondered...? Probably not very much, if at all.

What did intrigue him was just how wet she was. Soaking, to be precise.

His fingers glided easily into her, massaging firmly over the small, fleshy pearl. A flood of heat panted over his shoulder and down his back as she fell against him, and clung to him with a steel grip, arms scooping under his and digging into his back as a chorus of moans and gasps rang out into the garden behind them with every pass of his fingers.

Whether she liked it or not, her inhibitions had been torn from her the moment his hand buried between her legs. The bolts of pleasure took control of her, tormenting her with desire and clouding her judgment as she ground against him slowly, curiously. She wasn't quite sure what she was doing, yet somehow it seemed natural. She'd never experienced anything like it before...and all she knew was that he couldn't stop now. She'd lose her mind if he stopped.

When two of his fingers plunged inside her, she arched her back, losing herself as the pleasure built quickly. She was tight...impossibly tight. He swore under his breath, letting his eyes slip closed in concentration as he explored her from the inside, spreading her gently with his fingers as she instinctively opened her legs wider.

With a grunt, he pulled her from the wall and laid her down on the floor. A dazed and dangerously trusting look followed his movements as he slipped the saturated panties down her hips and legs.

His fingers dove inside her once more as he crawled over her, and she writhed beneath him helplessly. The sound of his name panted desperately from her lips, lost in a mixture of passion of uncertainty, and he sank deeper into her, stopping only when he felt the thin barrier of tissue brush against his fingertips. She didn't seem to notice, or care, as her back arched and pressed her chest into him.

Managing to loosen the tie on his robe without rising off her, he pulled it open. Bare, pale chest defined with lean muscle fell overs hers, welcoming her twin points, stiff in arousal, to brush against him.

His palm ground circles into her clit as her explored her, and as another breathy moan rushed into his ear, he let his face fall to the crook of her neck. A drawn out groan rumbled into her.

He wanted her. He had to have her. Even if Sasuke  _did_  show up and walk in on them, he doubted he could stop. Even if she had a change of heart, and screamed at him to get off her...he doubted he could stop then, too.

She was so small, so inexperienced, and so sensitive...

He wanted to feel her legs hook around him and squeeze.

He wanted to hear her scream.

Kami, he would... He would hear her.

There was no turning back.

Itachi sat up, letting his robe fall from his shoulders down his arms, and tossed the garment over top her discarded yukata against the wall. She stared at him in hazy wonder once his fingers left her, and when she saw his nude form emerge over her, her eyes widened.

Her soft pants changed as fear slithered back into her. The sight of a tall, erect member—the first one she'd ever seen—intimidated her just as much as the Uchiha himself did.

"What are you doing...?" She whispered nervously, rising up on her elbows, only to have him cage her back down and ravage her chest and neck with his tongue and lips.

Strong arms hooked under her knees, pulling her open and leaving her exposed to him. Quivering, wet thighs smacked against his hips as he let his weight ease down on her, and she gave a mewl of despair, finding herself trapped as the touch of something hot and pulsing rested against her soft entrance.

The thudding heart in his chest wasn't nearly as profound as hers, but his breath grew ragged as he fought the urge to rip through her with one clean thrust. Although...in all fairness, it was probably for the best. Like tearing off a bandaid...best done quickly.

"Remember when I said I wasn't going to hurt you?" He murmured in a deceptively gentle voice into her ear.

Silence answered him, as she felt a knot of dread lodge in her throat.

"I lied."

"Wh-what?" Frantic, pleading eyes stared up at the ceiling over his shoulder as she choked out, unable to move as he kept her pinned in place, and in the next moment, a fire erupted inside her that she never could have been prepared for. A shrill, blood-curdling scream rang out into the garden and beyond, turning more than one alarmed head in the distance as it echoed down the block.

The hint of a regretful cringe twisted his face, largely overshadowed by a brief euphoria as her tight clutch adjusted slowly to his size. He heard her sob uncontrollably, and felt her nails raking desperately into his back...only fueling him to pump deeper into her reflexively.

"Stop! Please...!" She cried against him, fighting to break free and escape the pain.

"Do not fight me... Relax." He growled sternly, unmoving, and kissed her neck as he waited for her to calm down.

"No..." She whimpered in defeat, wincing when she felt him move slowly within her after a moment. The pain was unbearable at first, and she shuddered and clenched under him with each slow pump.

"Kami..." The hiss sounded painful as his breath beat against her, yet he was merely fighting to control himself as her hot sheath tormented him, pulsing around him as he sank a full thrust deep into her core.

The steel grip of her fingers pawed desperately into the flesh of his back, leaving behind a scattering of red welts that he seemed to enjoy as he released a shaky, satisfied sigh. She squeaked and mewled quietly with the gentle rock of his hips that slipped easily against her, soaked in the evidence of her own desire.

There was no telling what had come over him. He hadn't exactly planned this from the beginning...but she had wandered unknowingly into the perfect storm, and was paying the price. But he was right about one thing. He would help her forget about him. He would eradicate every last, lingering thought and craving she had for his younger brother...

What he didn't know, was that they would be replaced with  _him_.

Sakura's mind buzzed frantically as if she was drugged, and it left her floating in a sea of weightlessness. Only the mixed pain and pleasure that came with each invading thrust ground against her arched thighs captured her...coaxing an insatiable lust to claim her, and enslave her to his will.

His arms slipped out from their confining embrace of her legs, and propped into the floor on either side of her head as he shifted to smooth his lips over hers. Without instruction, she lost herself in his kiss, moaning as his tongue lapped into her and stroked over her own.

"You're so wet."

She felt his low, feral growl more than she heard it, and yet it somehow seemed so far away. Despite the ache that throbbed within her, a rush of raw heat and electric ecstasy gradually drowned it out as it collected inside her. Filling her with something she couldn't explain, and yet it drove her crazy.

Her muscles relaxed a little more with each pump, and when her nerves settled enough, he picked up his pace. Her lips broke away from his, gasping for air as she clung to him and rocked under him helplessly.

"I c-..I can't-...it feels..." At a loss for the right words, she mumbled incoherently while he returned to claiming her neck with his lips, and traced the shell of her ear with his tongue greedily.

But she didn't need to make sense. He understood her completely, and hushed her with a soft, "Shhh.."

"Don't think. Just feel."

The husky voice commanded her, and she instantly felt her thoughts melting away into nothing. Something was building, far too quickly for her to control or understand, and before she knew it a fire was raging inside her again...but this time, it wasn't painful, despite the breathy cry that burst into the tearoom.

Sakura clutched into him, nails digging once more and raking stripes into his back, legs squeezing his hips to her. Everything contracted at once, and she knew nothing but a passion so intense her toes curled and her vision went white.

Itachi froze mid-thrust, locking deep within her as she clenched him with a strength he hadn't anticipated, and he groaned loudly as a tremor shot through him. The sound of her desperate voice as she road the wave of her first orgasm seized him in a shock of untamed lust.

Her equilibrium was nonexistent for a few seconds, but she cracked her drunken eyes open when she felt a rush of air and the faint sound of creaking wood. Before she knew what was happening, the wall of the tearoom slammed against her back hard enough to stun her, but not enough to hurt. It sent a dull rumble through the rest of the house, and she gasped as he bucked into her.

With her legs hooked over his arms once more, he suspended her off the ground and thrust roughly. Bolts of pleasure tormented her endlessly, hearing him grunt and curse under his breath as he took her. She felt light and weak, and merely gripped him as her sole anchor to reality.

He came within her with a final, violent thrust, sending her gasping and moaning as something hot invaded her, and then slowly the wall slid over her back, leaving them to rest with a heavy thump onto the floor.

The overpowering scent of sweat and sex filled her nose as she continued to pulse and clench around him uncontrollably. She faintly sensed his hands rising, fingers raking up her neck and through her hair as he kissed her cheek, her jaw, and down the front of her throat, purring heatedly...as if he couldn't get enough of her.

Then, her back grew suddenly cold as she felt herself fall away, and flop limply over his chest as he pulled her to the floor with him. She panted loudly, too dizzy, exhausted, and paralyzed with lingering passion to move.

The silence surrounding them was interrupted only by their breathing, and the relentless rain that pattered the lush garden only feet away from them.

She couldn't begin to make sense of what had happened to her. From the moment she had entered their home, she had twirled deeper and deeper into a surreal dream...and yet it wasn't a dream. Somehow, this had actually happened. This was real.

She felt so strange.

This wasn't rape... Was it? It had felt so good. She couldn't stop it. He hadn't let her even when she tried. But Kami...it was the best experience she'd ever felt in her life.

Addicting, even...as it occurred to her that she didn't want it to be over.

But it was.

As the minutes ticked by, a pair of curious, yet anxious green eyes dared to creep up his pale face that glistened with sweat in the dim light. She opened her mouth to pose a question, only to pause as she watched him in silent awe.

His mouth was parted slightly, and eyes closed in a portrait that was deceitfully harmless and peaceful. His lungs worked in a steady, rhythmic pattern, and a snore so light she could barely hear it emitted from him. He'd dozed off...

Lowering her head back down, she rested her cheek against his chest and stared off into space in nervous wonder, held in place with his arms rapped around her back.

Somehow, some way, she had to figure out what all of this meant, and what she was supposed to do next...and most of all, what the hell would happen if anyone else found out.


	2. Hide and Seek

The rain had stopped. The air was still cool and damp, but not enough to chill. Birds chirped excitedly and flitted about in the garden, feathers glistening with flecks of water under breaking beams of sunlight that poked through the dense clouds. But that wasn't what woke him. Their noises were too pleasant and common to disturb. It was something else.

Save for the soft, deep breaths that puffed rhythmically against him, and the pattering of remaining water drops falling from the leaves outside, it was silent in the tearoom. It was more of a  _feeling_ that had woken him, than a sound. A tingling sensation that reverberating through his nerves lightly, enough to stir him. A sixth sense, so to speak. He often experienced this when something was about to happen...some sort of change approaching like a building wave ready to crash down onto the shore.

And he knew exactly what was approaching, yet he waited. Calm, dark eyes stared at the ceiling above, motionless as he trained his senses on the very air around him, and the sleeping, naked girl draped over his chest. There were no thoughts tracing through his mind, no anxieties, no regrets, nothing... He was purely in the moment. Waiting patiently for the inevitable.

Then, he felt it. A shift in the air, a quiet  _tap_ in the distance of a shutting door, and the faintest rustle of fabric that even most shinobi wouldn't have been able to detect.

Itachi came to life, motions a mere blur as he rose from the wooden floor, cradled the oblivious girl in his arms, and dashed from the tearoom, down the hall, and into the bathroom.

Vibrant green eyes cracked open to peer up at him in hazy confusion as he set her down into the cool and large tub, blinking groggily through messy strands of pink. A sudden spray of water from above startled her, and she gave a shocked and displeased yelp. Her surprise only mounted when she felt a hand cover her mouth, and she looked up into eyes that were somehow soft, yet stern at the same time, demanding silence from her.

Sakura didn't know what to think. One moment she was in a dead sleep, dreaming of things that didn't make a lick of sense...and then, she found herself snapping back into reality as gravity shifted multiple times, and she fell from a warm clutch onto something hard and smooth. And then the cold water...

Despite the conflicting emotions that wrestled around inside her, she kept her mouth shut. Not that she had much of a choice, as Itachi's hand was still covering her lips. But it was the look on his face that made her pause, and absorb the data of her surroundings to try and understand what the hell was going on. His was a look of concentration, seriousness, and perhaps a bit of curiosity as he crouched down and leaned against the side of the tub. His chin fell to his forearm, resting over the rim next to her.

As she watched him in mute, tense perplexity, she judged him to be listening for something as he spaced out at the wall, and trained her ears to try to find what he was focusing on. She couldn't hear anything... Just the chilly rush of water beating over her. It was slowly heating up...but not fast enough to ward off the goosebumps that were spreading all over her.

She glanced down, realizing all of a sudden that she was still completely naked, and before she could even think twice, she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs as a nervousness slithered through her. Hiding as much of herself as she could from him. It was more of an instinct that anything. He'd already seen and touched every inch of her, and he wasn't even looking at her right then, but she couldn't help it. She wasn't used to being so bare in front of someone else.

Eventually, his hand slipped away from her mouth, and she saw him rise and turn towards the bathroom door. Lips parting curiously as she watched him, her eyes roamed from the ponytail hanging between his pale shoulder blades, down his back, and over the curve of his ass. Of course, she then immediately looked away and blushed uncontrollably. So...he was still nude, too. Wow. She felt awkward. Really, really awkward. Not awkward enough that she could stop herself from peeking at him again, but, still...

But her blush was short-lived, as the sound of footsteps coming down the hall toward them finally reached her ears, and the color drained from her face. Wide, panicked eyes looked up at him for an explanation, but his face was turned toward the door.

They drew closer and closer, set at a leisure pace with each step louder than the last. A door separated them. A simple, flimsy door. But no one was going to open it... Not with the sounds of running water on the other side. Still, she waited silently, stiffly, concentrating so hard on the bathroom door that she didn't even notice the water was warm now.

The footsteps shifted in front of them, leaving Sakura's pulse to lodge uncomfortably in her throat. Someone was there. Right on the other side. Inches away. And then, they wandered past the bathroom and continued on down the hall, without skipping a beat.

She exhaled audibly, releasing a gulp of air she hadn't even known she was trapping in her lungs.

"Is that your mom?" She asked in a whisper. It wouldn't be their dad, would it? Wasn't he working? Sakura didn't know much about their family, but it was no secret their father was chief of Konoha's Military Police. She'd seen him around before, with his flak jacket that had the symbol of the Uchiha crest imbedded within a black shuriken. All she knew was that he had a similar aura to Itachi. Not a man she wanted to mess with...

A hand slapped over her mouth again promptly, and she jumped in surprise and annoyance. Itachi was still facing the door, listening intently, and he kept his hand there while she glared lightly at the back of his head.

Come on...it's not like anyone was going to hear her now, and she wasn't stupid enough to raise her voice.

Yet she let him continue to silence her, and it was just as well, as not even two seconds later she heard approaching footsteps again, coming from the opposite direction. They had come back? Sakura watched the blank door curiously at first, but when the sound stopped this time on the other side of it, she felt her pulse pick up its pace again.

"Nii-san?"

Sakura froze at the hauntingly familiar voice. A coldness in the pit of her stomach formed and spread slowly outward, invading her limbs like veins of ice. Pure terror and disbelief etched into her face, and she was unable to move as the now hot water rolled down the strips of pink plastered to her forehead, past wide, quivering jade eyes.

No... This wasn't possible. Why was  _he_  here? He wasn't supposed to be here!

The tall and muscular form drifted closer to her as Itachi backed up slowly, and sat on the edge of the tub close to the shower head. His hand had once more left her mouth, and rested on his pale knee. She broke her stare to glance up at him, trapped in a painful suspense with her heart assaulting her ribcage and her fists clenched with white knuckles around her knees.

He was different... His face was just as calm as it had always been. As if she wasn't in there with him. As if she'd never even shown up on their front porch in the first place. His eyes, half-lidded, lazy and dark, ignored the intense look she was giving him. A look that very well could have made any other person in Konoha unable to relax.

"Yes, Sasuke?"

His words, as indifferent as the rest of him, made her somehow agitated beyond belief, and yet she admired him at the same time. How could he be so cool in a situation like this? This was terrible! Didn't he realize how much trouble they were in?!

"We're still training today, right?" There was a note of skepticism there, and perhaps a bit of cynicism, too. A slight undertone of negativity in the otherwise respectful tone of voice, almost as if he was used to being shot down, or something.

"Yes." Itachi answered immediately.

The gaze that spelled nothing but fear faltered then, as something clicked. If the look she had been giving him was intense before, it was nothing short of abrasive now.

 _"I never said he was coming back. I said he wasn't home right now. Sasuke won't return for a few days. He's on a mission."_  That's what he had said to her, only hours ago. If it had even been hours... She didn't know what time of day it was.

So... Had it not been true?

Her eyes narrowed as a poisonous anger seeped into her, mingling with her anxiety to produce an overwhelming cocktail of unpleasant emotions that made her feel the first throb of a headache, and the churn of a queasy stomach.

"Hn. I don't know why you're showering then. You're just going to get sweaty...and muddy." A soft rustle followed, before the younger man's steps wandered on down the hall, leaving the two to sit in silence for a minute.

"...You lied...?" Sakura whispered, yet the burning resentment she felt was unable to manifest in her voice. Her question was soft and unsure, as though she found it difficult to believe he would do that to her.

Yet, how could she predict anything he would do or say? She didn't know him... Hell, the most she knew, truly  _knew_ , was the shape and feel of his body. Everything on the inside was lost in seamless shadows. In the short amount of time she'd spent with him, he seemed to be a complete master of control. Nothing slipped past him, unlike her. She was quick to let her emotions get in the way, and even quicker to cause a scene.

When she looked at him, she couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever raised his voice even once in his life.

"Yes." He admitted without remorse, turning slightly so he could look her in the eye.

It was a little more than unnerving to stare him down then, yet she held his gaze firmly. He didn't look guilty. He didn't sound guilty. He didn't regret a damn thing, did he? It was infuriating. How could he risk both of their necks like that? What if Sasuke had come home earlier?

Sakura was at a loss for words, too stunned to know how to react to him. She knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to pummel him into the ground until he begged for forgiveness...but that was never going to happen. He was too strong. But aside from that...there was something else about him that made her hesitate. Something in his unyielding confidence, and unbelievably cool nature. He knew so much more than she did, didn't he? So much more about anything and everything, including  _herself._ She could sense that...and she had no idea how to confront someone like him.

She glanced down finally, brows knitting in confusion and frustration. She couldn't yell at him. He wouldn't care.

"What else did you lie about?" Swallowing quietly, her question was accusing as she glared at the wall.

"Nothing."

Sakura looked back up at him as he stood and climbed into the tub without any further explanation. He was so curt with his responses that it took her more effort than it normally would to open her mouth. Not one to back down from anyone too easily, needless to say, she found herself second guessing everything that she wanted to blurt, and it drove her crazy.

So, she did nothing for a while but watch him. It was easy with his back turned to her. He had pulled the tie from his hair and let it fan over his back as he stepped under the shower head. Shoulders slouching as he relaxed, he leaned his forehead against the wall and closed his eyes, letting the water cascade over him.

The problem was, as she sat there brooding and leaning against the opposite end of the tub, her eyes were left to wander again...and wander they did. How could they not? He was right in front of her, and to say he was a sight for sore eyes would be an understatement. They lingered around his back and shoulders, tracing the lean curves of muscle.

It did nothing to cure her anger, though. On the contrary, it made everything worse. For though she couldn't complain about the view he was giving her, this was hardly the time to enjoy him in any way shape or form. He was an asshole. He'd tricked her and used her, in her mind, and he could have gotten them both in serious trouble. Worst of all, he wasn't even sorry!

No, he didn't deserve the appreciative gaze she was unable to tear away from him. Nor did he deserve the respect or admiration she still, somehow, secretly felt for him.

He deserved a punch to the gut, in the very  _least_.

Itachi turned around suddenly, shocking her with an entirely different view that she hadn't been expecting. Her eyes, ironically, landed immediately on the very thing she had wanted to avoid looking at in the first place, and then flew up to his eyes to escape it...which only made her turn a bright red, once she found him staring right back down at her.

Glancing sideways, she chewed on her bottom lip and scowled.

"You can't sit there forever." He murmured, and tossed a bottle of shampoo at her.

Sakura caught it just before it would have smacked her in the face, and glared up at him.

"Why aren't  _you_  using it?" She growled quietly, noting that he hadn't bothered with any soap either.

"Because I'm about to get sweaty...and muddy." He answered as he leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes a second time. Either he really enjoyed standing under the stream of water, or he was being polite by keeping his eyes off her, and making it more comfortable for her to be stuck in there with him. Regardless, it made her breathe a small sigh of relief. Well, it was more a sigh of pent up agitation, but there was some relief in there too.

Reluctantly, she climbed to her feet, watching his eyelids warily. Yes, it was silly of her to want to be modest now, looking at it from a logical standpoint... But right now, Sakura was having a hard time thinking logically. This whole day had turned her upside down and inside out, and it wasn't even halfway through. When she woke up this morning, she wasn't even entirely sure what a penis looked like... And heaven forbid she'd ever have to say that word out loud. Just thinking about it made her blush some more.

Looking down after a moment, she turned her back to him just to feel safe, and massaged some of the floral-scented shampoo into her short hair. As she breathed it in, Sasuke instantly came to mind. He used this... She recalled getting close enough to him a couple times to catch the vague scent.

A deep regret clenched her insides suddenly. She felt somehow that she had done something horrible to him. There she was, hiding from him in his own house, taking a shower—albeit unwillingly—with his older brother...and using his shampoo... She was the scum of the earth.

In the back of her mind, she knew she was being illogical again. None of this had been planned, or wanted in the first place. She'd come there to see  _him_. And even so...it's not like he wanted anything to do with her, did he? But it was just one of those things she couldn't shake. She felt like a liar and a traitor.

If she couldn't successfully sneak out of their house without running into him, she didn't know what she would do. What if she rounded a corner and he was right there in front of her? What would she say to him? Could she even find a believable enough lie, or a worthy excuse to be there? What would Itachi do?

She wanted to slam her fists into the wall and cry in despair, but she didn't. She couldn't. All she could do was turn back around and rinse the shampoo out of her hair. One baby step at a time...that's how she would figure this out.

He was still standing there, leaning under the shower head as content as ever, yet his eyes were already open and on her when she looked up, fingers tangled into the mass of foamy pink.

It was too late to cover herself, so she simply stared right back at him, trying to act as if it didn't bother her in the slightest to be naked in front of him.

"You're in the way..." She peeped quietly, then promptly cleared her throat to try and rid herself of the lump that made it difficult to speak.

Without a word, he moved towards her. Sakura held her breath—something she clearly had a bad habit of doing every time she was afraid or startled—and looked away from him. He brushed against her lightly, moving past so they could switch positions.

Facing away from him, she concentrated on finishing as quickly as possible. The sooner she could get out of the shower, the better.

Letting her eyes slip closed, she scrubbed and squeezed the shampoo out, ignoring the faint sounds of movement behind her. He was doing something. She didn't know what, and honestly she didn't really care.

Until she felt something touch her.

Her eyes flew open to stare at the blank slate in front of her, freezing mid-motion as a pair of hands, coated in soap, with one still clutching the bar, slipped around her waist. Mouth parting in wonder, she could say nothing at first. They were warm and slick, moving over her hips and up her sides slowly, and then around to her back.

Sakura forced herself to breathe steadily, and held still as she focused on his touch, and tried to understand his motive. There hadn't been a single sign of lust since they entered the bathroom. He had been just as stoic as when he had opened the door on her that morning, and had met all her questions with the shortest possible answers...and had been entirely emotionless doing so. Why were his hands roaming over her now...?

Smoothing up her shoulders, they rubbed over her arms, guiding her hands away from her hair and down against her sides, leaving a trail of lather wherever they went.

"What are you doing?" She whispered warily, having trouble deciding whether or not she should push him away.

The path his hands took gave her his only response, as they moved from her forearms back to her waist, and up to her bare chest.

Sakura gasped as he cupped her breasts, massaging them gently as the bar of soap fell from his hand and clattered to the floor.

"Stop... I don't need your h—"

As she tried to pull away from him, his grip tightened slightly, causing her to pause and interrupting her protest. She felt his chest press into her back while he fingers kneaded and roamed over her, and his lips moved close to tickle the shell of her ear.

He absorbed her. Taking in every detail as easily as he had done earlier. The way she tried to resist, but only barely. She was too quick to give in, and let him have his way. And it wasn't because she was afraid. She was, a little...but that's not why she stopped. She stopped because she didn't want  _him_ to stop... She wanted him to think she was trying to get away, and that she wanted nothing to do with him, but it was a lie.

And that's why he had lied to her.

They were no different, really. Each lying and playing the game in their own way to get what they wanted. She might have been upset at him for telling her Sasuke wasn't coming back, when it wasn't true... But what good would telling her the truth have done? She still wanted him. If she didn't, her body wouldn't have reacted so easily and quickly to his touch. Not then, and not now. Telling her the truth would have just made it impossible for her to relax.

He had only just begun, and already he could feel the heat dance over her skin, and her pulse beat against him. Her breaths came quicker, even as she tried to control them. She told him to stop, but only once the faintest shudder darted down her spine.

If she really wanted nothing to do with him...if she had really wanted him to stop...he would. But she didn't.

Fingertips teasing over her stiff buds, he heard her sigh softly and lean into him. The water had washed most of the soap away already, and he nipped at her ear playfully, pressing his length into the slope of her ass as it throbbed to life.

"This is wrong." He heard her breathe desperately, and ignored her as he slipped one of his hands slowly down her belly to the juncture of her legs. Her hand gripped his forearm tensely, as if she meant to stop him...and yet she didn't even try to pull him away as his fingers disappeared between her lips.

"Itachi, please..."A moan broke from her as she trembled lightly, letting him play with her clit despite her contradicting words. He kept himself from laughing, but was unable to hide his smile as he dipped to gently bite her shoulder, at the same time burying his fingers deep inside her.

"Niiiii-san..." Sasuke's voice caused her to jump in surprise and panic, but Itachi held her still, his eyes casting a cryptic glance to their door as he remained latched to her shoulder.

There was something curious in the way he spoke this time, and not just with the prolonged enunciation of the word. There was something teasing about it...as if he had learned something that amused him.

"What happened to the tearoom?" He continued when his older brother failed to speak.

Sakura's mind fell blank as her terror reignited. She was panting, unable to pull herself free as Itachi kept his fingers busy inside her, tormenting her into madness. Another moan was building inside her, clawing its way up her throat to freedom, but she bit her own tongue to distract herself. If she made a sound, it was all over... Why didn't he understand that?!

"What do you mean?" Itachi hummed in return, sounding almost bored.

He was such a convincing liar... Sakura envied and despised him for that. Especially now, when he found it so easy and fun to torment her while she clamored to keep her composure.

How she wished she could beat the crap out of him...

"The doors are open, your robe is on the floor, and it smells funny."

Itachi considered his explanation for a moment, while successfully maintaining half his concentration on the girl wrapped in his arms. She twitched and arched against him, breathing so heavily at that point that he wouldn't be surprised if Sasuke  _did_  hear her, and yet he couldn't stop. Maybe it was a little sadistic, but he just couldn't.

"I'll clean it up." He answered finally, leaving nothing suspicious or interesting in his tone of voice. He returned his full attention to her, kissing from her shoulder to her neck, and slipped his other hand over her mouth to try and stifle the noise.

"There's also a yukata under your robe...and two tea cups..." Sasuke persisted, not buying his nonchalant replies.

Sakura wanted to die. This was the beginning of her worst nightmare coming true. He had found evidence of her being there, and now while he was a mere few feet away from them, she was about to lose her grip and cry out as Itachi dug into a certain sweet spot inside of her. Even with his hand covering her, there's no way it would be enough to drown her out.

She felt his lips pause against her, and his fingers retreated to a slower pace, though still they refused to leave her. Turning his head slowly, he stared at the door, considering his options.

"Hn... There's a girl in there with you." It was a statement, not a question. Sasuke knew without a shadow of a doubt that he wasn't alone. And yet he left them with a shred of hope...at least to Sakura. He had said girl, and not her name. He didn't know it was her... He must not have recognized her clothes. That's what mattered.

Still, Itachi didn't say a word, though if he was anywhere near as nervous— _frantic_ —as she was, he hid it expertly.

"...Is she cute?" They could both almost hear him smirking from the other side.

Sakura felt her legs being shifted wider, and as she was bent forward slightly, her hand caught the wall in front of her to keep her balance. His hand withdrew from her finally, and rubbed over her clit, just as he slipped a full thrust into her from behind.

"What do you think?" Itachi murmured barely loud enough for him to hear, smart enough to know when their game of hide and seek was over, and nuzzled his face without a care into her throat.

She came almost instantly with a simultaneous push of his hips and fingers, and cried out loudly into his hand. A contrast of pure bliss and panic clashed inside her, yet she bucked her hips into him as she clenched.

Oh, he had heard that... There was no denying it.

It wasn't just how loud she had been that had been telling. They knew, because he finally fell silent.

And damnit...Itachi had done it on purpose.

The seconds felt like hours as Sakura listened, waiting for her worst fear to be realized. Too afraid to move or speak. Too afraid, even, to be angry at Itachi as he continued thrusting into her. The hand covering her mouth slipped away to grip her hip, and the other moved to cup and squeeze her breast. He wasn't phased in the least. In fact, he couldn't care less at this point.

But of course...few men could, when they were buried between a woman's legs.

"Hn. Well hurry up. I don't have all day." It was spoken with the most forced indifference, and the younger Uchiha turned and disappeared down the hall. If he had any suspicion that Sakura was in there, he kept it to herself. But something had touched a nerve... A rather awkward nerve, by the sound of it, as his voice had sounded a little unsure and uncomfortable.

"He..he knows it's me... Oh Kami... He knows!" She whispered as she tried to catch her breath, her walls still hugging him tightly as he moved within her. It still felt so good...she found it hard to think straight even after her release.

"No, he doesn't." He growled into her ear. Both of his hands grabbed hold of her hips as he pumped harder, forcing a moan from her.

"Has he ever made you scream?" His low voice sent a shiver through her, and she shook her head, cheeks pink in her lingering lust and embarrassment.

"Then he doesn't know." Itachi insisted calmly, and pulled from her long enough to turn her around and lift her into the air. Her back met the wall, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She felt his lips clamp onto her neck and suck, leaving more than one purple welt behind as he made his way up to her jaw. His hips pounded into her, hands clenching into the backs of her thighs as he held her up.

His movements were rougher, possessive, and she felt her heat rising again, lips pressing into his shoulder to stifle the small moans and gasps.

It was surreal. Her anger hadn't subsided, not in the least. If anything, she was more angry at him now than she had been before. But none of it mattered now. His body was the perfect weapon, stripping her of all common sense...the ability to think at all. It wasn't just the way his fingers worked against her, and how he seemed to know exactly where to touch and when...or the feel of his lips exploring her. It was how he moved. How he reigned her in and took control even when she tried to evade him. There was something so deliciously raw about feeling him take the power away from her. She didn't know how to fight him... She didn't know how to make herself  _want_  to fight him. It was so unlike her.

It was...scary.

"Itachi..." She whimpered helplessly, just as another orgasm seizing her. It was weaker than the first, and she felt drained and exhausted as soon as she lost herself again. His hips ground into her a final time, holding her tight against him as he panted and groaned.

He came inside her a second time. She knew, not because he had stopped moving, but because she had felt it. A forceful and hot spray filled her, and despite knowing in the back of her mind that this was a very, very bad idea...it made her writhe and buck into him, as if she wanted more.

A noise of approval rumbled into her skin before he lifted his head and pulled out of her, smoothing his hands up and over her hips so she could set her feet down on solid ground. She didn't want to stand, though. She was so tired. All she wanted to do was crawl into her bed and nap. Yet her bed was so, so far away...

She leaned back into the wall and closed her eyes. Hearing him turn the water off, she expected him to step out and grab a towel, but instead, he surprised her with a kiss. It started on her chest, just below her collar bone, and wandered down to her breasts. She didn't question him. She didn't even look at him. But her hand lifted and slipped over the back of his head, sinking into his long, wet hair.

It didn't feel sexual. Even when he tasted her pink bud with his tongue. Perhaps because she was too tired to react sexually to him. A third orgasm was entirely out of the question. But still... His lips had a soothing effect more than anything, and her breaths grew deep and steady as her mouth parted slightly. She felt him travel down her stomach, kissing and lapping gently as he sank lower and lower, and when he passed her hip bones, he paused.

She waited without a care, in no hurry to move even a finger as he touched her, hands petting and caressing from her waist down to her legs. Then, he nestled into the soft down of pink between her thighs and kissed again. Sakura sucked in her breath, eyes flying open, free hand clenching into his shoulder, and she stared down at him.

The stoic expression that greeted her as he drew back and looked up left her confused at his intent, and when she finally decided to push him away and step out of the tub with a huff, he broke into a devilish smile while her back was turned.

Her thin frame paused once she pulled a towel from a hook and wrapped herself in it. She knew she couldn't just open the door and walk out. She had no idea where Sasuke was...if he was even still in the house. She'd have to wait for him to let her know when the coast was clear.

But she didn't know what to say to him yet. Now that it was all over—again—she was more perplexed than ever.

"Why... Why did you...?" She asked quietly, partly so her voice wouldn't break past the door. She didn't know how to even phrase her question, though. There was so much she wanted to ask, and so much she wanted to say...and to  _yell_.

"Why did you—"

"Why did you stay?" He interrupted her, staring back at her as he left the tub and grabbed his own towel. He knew what she was trying to say. She wanted to know why he had touched her once, and then twice. She wanted to know what it meant, what his secret motives were. She wanted him to admit to her some elaborate scheme he had devised, and the detailed reasons for why he had done everything he had to her. And so he posed her with an even better question.

If he had done so much to her...why had she let him?

There was nothing harsh about the way he said it, and certainly nothing harsh about what he actually had said aloud. But there was a dawning of realization on her face. Her eyes widened slightly, and then she looked away and blinked. She was thinking...and thinking very hard. She didn't know, did she? She had no idea why she had stayed after he had fallen asleep on the floor of the tearoom. She could have stood up, dressed, and left.

She could have gotten away with it. He wouldn't have stopped her. Then, she wouldn't have had to deal with the stress of Sasuke returning while she was still there.

Yeah, she wanted to yell and scream at him, and to blame him for caging her in this awful situation, and taking advantage of her.

And with one simple question, he had shed light on her own hypocrisy. It hadn't even occurred to her that she might actually be at fault...at least partly.

When she couldn't answer him right away, he busied himself with wrapping the towel around his waist, and squeezing the water out of his hair.

Sakura watched him silently from the corner of her eye, and when he was done, he moved past her and out the door without a word, being sure to shut it behind him.

She listened to his steps disappear, leaving her to stew alone in the aftermath.

Even with him gone, she was at a loss.

Why  _had_  she stayed? She hadn't even thought of that. Not that she'd had much time to think about much of anything yet. But...she couldn't deny that he'd caught her with that one. She honestly didn't know what to say, or even think.

And there was still the matter of how the hell she was going to get out of their house without anyone noticing her. Kami... Sasuke could walk into the bathroom at any second and see her. What was she supposed to do?

Wait... That's all she could do. She'd have to wait for Itachi to come to her rescue. He would, wouldn't he? He'd help her get out without being seen. He had to...

A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth as she leaned against the wall and sank down to the floor.

She still wanted to know why. So what if she had stayed? She may have been guilty of making that mistake, but he'd been the one that put his hands on her,  _twice_. He didn't have to. Why did he? Surely he could have nearly any girl he wanted, there was no doubt about that. He was handsome, skilled—in more ways than one—and he was the prodigal son to the leader of the Uchiha clan. So why...?

But then she found herself wondering...had it really been a mistake for her to stay? She hadn't been caught yet...and Kami, the way he had touched her...

Sakura closed her eyes as the back of her head knocked against the wall. An angry sigh puffed from her nose. As much as she wanted to beat the crap out of Itachi, she kind of wanted to beat the crap out of herself, too...

He'd better come back, and soon. If she stayed locked up in there for much longer, with only her own painfully contradicting thoughts to keep her company and stir her deeper and deeper into its tangling chaos, she was going to lose it.


	3. Loose Ends

Sakura didn't know how long she'd been sitting in the bathroom, alone...but it felt like eternity. It didn't help whatsoever that she hadn't known what time it was when she was so rudely awakened in the first place. Now, she was left without a clock, in a small, humid room, with almost no sound to distract her. Only her thoughts kept her company...and they did a dreadful job.

Never in her life had she imagined she would be cornered into a predicament like this. The world's cruelest joke was being played on her, and it had lost its humor a long, long time ago.

On occasion, she'd hear some footsteps trail past the door. The first couple of times, it fed her with a fresh surge of adrenaline, for whether it was the threat of Itachi or Sasuke opening the door on her, neither option was a comforting thought. But after the third time, she began to feel a false sense of security. Then, after the fourth time...she just felt lonely.

She didn't want their company, though. She wanted answers. She wanted things to make sense. She wanted to feel the freedom of open spaces and blue skies again, instead of this house that made her feel like she was caught in enemy territory without a friend, where the slightest error could trigger a domino effect of chaos. She wanted to feel  _safe_.

This was anything but safe.

One person in this house needed to be avoided at all costs. The other, whom she was forced to gift all her trust to, and completely rely on, wasn't even someone she understood...at all. Not even a little bit.

Why couldn't it just be over? What was taking him so long? If they had even spoken to one another once Itachi left the bathroom, it was out of her earshot, for she hadn't heard a damn thing. It wasn't just nerve-wracking, it was excruciating.

Now, one might think being stuck in a bathroom all alone would afford the perfect opportunity for her to reflect on the situation at hand, and at the very least, use it to gain some insight into understanding herself better, and possibly making some changes. Nope. It wasn't working. Her thoughts were a tornado, at their calmest moment, and they swirled with every conceivable negative emotion possible, from worry, to doubt, to shame, to anger and resentment, to even a creeping desire for some kind of vengeance on Itachi for...reasons she wasn't even sure were rational anymore.

But once in a while, she'd shock herself by considering walking out of the bathroom, with only her towel to cover her, retrieving her yukata from the tearoom, and leaving their house without even trying to conceal her presence. If Sasuke saw her, then whatever. To hell with him.

That particular thought was always counter-attacked with an even stronger burst of fear and resistance, however. Despite how relieving the idea of ending her stress so easily and quickly was, she knew it would only spell disaster in the long-run.

A deflated look aimed at the cupboards across from her. Her face hung, literally, with the corners of her lips sagging into a slight frown, and her tired eyes seeming to droop under the weight of her emotions. Her hair was still damp, and hung messily as she had yet to brush it. The simple, white towel barely covered her, with one corner tucked into her modest cleavage, and the bottom parting open slightly as her legs stretched out flat.

She felt sorry for herself, and her body language was incapable of hiding that fact. Itachi might have stopped and made her think when he asked her why she had stayed...but it hadn't been enough to make her reevaluate her perception of everything, including him, the way it should have.

The exhaustion that masked her face disappeared with tensing muscles and widening eyes the second she heard something quietly bump her door. Helpless, her gaze aligned with the spot she anticipated seeing a face emerge at any moment, once the door would swish to the side. Instead, her skin prickled unpleasantly at the voice she soon heard booming down the hall.

"SASUKE."

Amazingly, Sakura didn't hold her breath this time. She felt numb, quite suddenly. Physically, she was cold, and her breathing was shallow...but in the split-second it took for her to realize that Sasuke was about to open the door, her mind shut off. She didn't care. She didn't have  _time_  to care anymore. All she did was stare and wait for the inevitable.

" _What?_ " The loud voice of her teammate shot back, as he questioned his brother in a somewhat startled and annoyed tone.

Itachi must have given him a look, because she didn't hear him again before Sasuke continued.

"I have to use the bathroom!"

Sakura couldn't tear her eyes from the door. Even when one second turned into two, and then three, she was absent, somehow. Removed from reality, as if watching a memory from someone else's eyes. The panic never came. Everything within her was eerily still. A rather stark and unbelievable contrast to what she had experienced in her solitude moments ago. The was the exact opposite reaction she was expecting to have, when shit finally hit the fan.

"Just wait for me there. I'll be done in a minute. You need to warm up anyway." The sound of Itachi's voice, somewhat softer this time, reached her.

" Tch... Warm up..." Sasuke mumbled, as if offended.

"Fine. But I still have to use the bathroom."

"You can't, Sasuke. Piss outside." Itachi insisted, leaving no room for discussion.

" _You_  don't piss outsi—...Ohh." It started as a sharp retort, and then faded, as if he suddenly realized why he couldn't open the door.

A sigh was the last thing she heard from him before he walked away.

When the silence returned, and the coast had cleared—seemingly—Sakura was still staring up at the door, motionless. She felt...nothing. Not even relief, oddly enough. Maybe it was because it had all happened so fast, and there had been no way to truly prepare herself for it, regardless of how much she had already thought about the moment Sasuke would find her. She didn't know... All she could register was an emptiness inside her. An abrupt void that had sucked away all the draining feelings she'd been harboring in the blink of an eye. Ironically, it made room for a faint sadness, once she began to think about what had happened...but nothing else.

Everything was quiet again. Too quiet. Hopefully that meant Sasuke had left the house, but there was no way of knowing for sure.

She imagined Itachi would have enough decency to let her know it was safe to come out. But...she had no way of knowing that, either.

After a second eternity had past—five minutes or fifty—she'd reached her limit. There hadn't been any footsteps in a while, and she was too impatient, exhausted, and annoyed to sit any longer. All she needed to do was make a bee-line to the tearoom, throw on her yukata, and zip out of their house. Wrap her obi? Nah, she'd just hold it closed and run down the street. It was that easy.

In theory.

But... If she did that, she wouldn't get to grill Itachi with any more questions.

Then again, he was about to leave anyway, so he probably wouldn't hang around long enough to answer them...and it wasn't worth her getting caught at this point. The stress of waiting around, never knowing what was going to happen to her next, was getting old.

Sakura sighed as she bolted up off the floor, and turned to face the door. She had made up her mind. There was no turning back. Taking a deep breath, she puffed up her chest, and outstretched a hand. It hovered in space as she felt her nerves begin to slip again...but then her eyes narrowed, and she willed herself to fling the door open and dart out.

Her bare feet took six quick steps down the hallway before stopping. The adrenaline had returned the moment she'd passed the door frame, but when she paused mid-step and put her hand against the wall, she felt the overwhelming urge to throw up. There was more than one door in this hallway, and she had no idea which one lead to the tearoom.

Was she really that stupid? How had she not thought of that? She'd never been in their house before! What if this wasn't even the right hall? She hadn't even opened her eyes until Itachi had set her down in the tub!

She couldn't just open any door. What if Sasuke was behind one?

No... Sasuke wouldn't be in any of the rooms. Itachi told him to leave. He should be gone.

But she didn't know that. She could only guess, like she was forced to do with so many other things. Guess, assume, wonder...pull out her hair.

Sakura shuddered as a chill went down her back. The kind of chill she sometimes got when stumbling through her own house in the middle of the night, usually because she had to go to the bathroom. Sometimes she'd get that eery feeling of being watched, and followed, and at any second a hand would reach out of the darkness and grab her. It wasn't something she admitted to anyone, since she was supposed to a be  _shinobi_...and a  _shinobi_ being afraid of the dark in her own house was essentially the most ridiculous thing in the world.

And yet, that's exactly what she felt then. At any moment, something or someone was going to pop out of nowhere and ambush her...but this time, it was actually a possible scenario...sort of.

The creepy chill escalated into a full-blown panic, and before she could control herself, she dove for the closest door. The next thing she knew, she was panting lightly, pressed against the wall, and facing a clean and orderly bedroom. More importantly, an empty, clean and orderly bedroom.

As Sakura slowly calmed down, she glanced around. The bed was made, the hard floor was free of clothes and garbage—unlike Naruto's room—and quiet. The lights were off, leaving it rather dim...but it made her feel safe. Well, safer. And at least she was one step closing to finding the tearoom.

Posture slumping a little as her muscles relaxed, she was just about to peel her back from the wall when she heard the distant pattering of footsteps again. Sakura stared down at the floor, keeping as quiet as possible as she searched for a clue that would help her determine who was wandering around out there. If she heard the bathroom door open a few feet away, it'd have to be Itachi.

A door did open, however, it wasn't the bathroom door. In the couple of seconds it took for her to understand what was happening, there was a soft hiss of shifting wood, and a beam of hallway light breaking into the bedroom.

Sakura's mouth fell open in horror and she nearly fainted as Sasuke walked past her. His head was tilted down slightly with his dark hair masking his face. He appeared to be counting something in his palm as he wandered into the room, past his bed, and to his dresser that was decorated with a couple picture frames. A drawer slid open, and he dug though the contents.

Paralyzed at first, as if she'd already been caught, Sakura stayed longer than she should have. Much, much longer. But as he pulled out a couple of throwing stars, oblivious as ever with his back to her, she regained control of her limbs, and slipped out the open door into the hallway.

Her face felt hot and her heart pounded as she nearly tripped over herself scrambling to get away, and in her moment of blind desperation, her mind thought it was a great idea to sprint the rest of the way out of the house and out into the street without even her yukata. Just a small white towel. Yeah, she sure wouldn't cause a scene with that, right?

Fortunately, luck was still on her side, as before she could pass the last door and make a blind turn down another hall, a hand reached out seemingly from thin air—the very hand that commonly haunted her wild imagination in the dead of night—and yanked her into the room.

Her first instinct was to shriek, but she couldn't. A cramp tightened her throat as she was whirled back into the tearoom, and watched the blur of the door snapping closed in front of her. The hand dropped her arm, and she turned to looked up into the eyes of Itachi, pure delirious green meeting cold black.

"Sakura...please tell me you weren't about to run outside like that." He asked quietly, a hard look piercing her as he watched her stagger backwards and prop her butt against the wall. Her hands fell to her knees as she bent forward slightly, and hung her head while she gasped for air.

"He was right there...right  _there_...he walked right past me..." She whispered through ragged breaths, feeling his gaze study her. Let him. She was just happy to safely hidden again.

"So you thought running outside in a towel that barely covers you was your only option?" His question was patient and curious, like an adult entertaining the wild irrationality of a small child that didn't know any better. It roused a spark of anger in her, and she grit her teeth as her eyes clenched shut.

"No." She snorted, and then tried to admit as calmly as possible, "I wasn't really thinking...I just did it..."

Sakura looked up at him, and sighed when she found him merely staring down at her, expecting a more elaborate and sensible explanation.

"He almost caught me. Twice."

"What took you so long?!" Her whisper was harsh as the agitation spilled to the surface, and she glared at him, further fueled by his continued indifference. Well, seeming indifference.

"You were in there for twenty minutes. You should have waited for me to come back." He murmured, calmly, of course.

Wide eyes beheld him as if he had just sprouted a new limb. There was no way she had only been in there alone for twenty minutes. It had felt like two hours.

"That was not twenty minutes! You left me in there for forever! All alone! I didn't know what to do! I was going to run  _here_  but I didn't know which room the tearoom was!"

Itachi quirked an eyebrow at her, causing her to pause and stare curiously at him. Then, she heard him sigh softly through his nose as he turned and picked something off the floor.

She looked down to see her yukata, which had been neatly folded with the obi in a smaller, perfect square on top, handed to her. Her blue panties, she would later discover, was sandwiched in between.

"You walked from the front door to the tearoom with me, and you forgot how to get here..."

She couldn't tell whether it was a hint of amusement, or a hint of condescension in his words...but the thought of either annoyed her even more. Yet, as she opened her mouth to retort defensively, she realized she had nothing useful to throw at him. And naturally, that only made her more angry.

So what if she'd forgotten how to get there? There was so much going on in her brain in such a short amount of time, and she'd panicked in the hallway. These weren't normal circumstances for her.

As she thought silently, searching for something clever or snarky to say, he glanced away from her with a dazed sort of look. She watched him closely, holding her folded clothes a bit too tightly.

"He's gone." He spoke after a minute, and then turned away from her.

Well... That was a relief. Finally, she didn't have to worry about getting caught anymore. Funny that he always seemed to pick up on things faster than she did. She hadn't heard anything. Sasuke must not have used the front door, as he would have had to pass their's to get to it.

Sakura's eyes followed him to the open doors which offered the colorful view of the garden beyond. It was the last thing he needed to take care of. The tea pot and tea cups had been cleaned and put away. His robe had disappeared. Her clothes had been delivered. The only thing left to do was to return the room to darkness.

He had already dressed as well, in a simple black shirt and dark blue pants. His hair, still damp, had been retied in a ponytail that hung low on his neck. As Sakura watched him close them in a dim, empty room, she began losing the nerve it took to lash out at him. Her anger hadn't subsided, necessarily, but coming up with something to say just for the sake of trying to win an argument seemed like too much effort.

Plus, she just figured he was about to leave now, and she realized that she wasn't sure how she felt about that.

When he turned around to face her, he glanced down at the yukata still folded in her hands.

"Are you going to put that on?"

Sakura looked down at it, forgetting for a second that she'd been holding it at all...and then felt a pang of guilt when she rediscovered how he had carefully folded the pieces of clothing.

"...Yeah..." She mumbled finally, slowly deflating as she turned her back to him and reluctantly shed her towel. Yes, she was trying to be modest again. It was a habit she still couldn't shake, but at least it was a good habit.

As she slipped her arms through the loose sleeves, it occurred to her that she hadn't heard any movement from him. She half-expected him to leave the room, though her distracted mind didn't account for the fact that she was currently standing in front of the only other door.

The obi unraveled slowly in her hands as an uncomfortable silence crept into the room. Uncomfortable for her, anyway. Itachi remained near the double doors opposite her, gaze locked to the floor as his own thoughts wondered through their secretive mazes.

Her fingers grew still, and tightened lightly on the silky fabric while the yukata hung loosely around her.

"So... That's it?" She gave a nervous, exasperated laugh.

"You're just going to leave. And...I'm going to leave. And...and that's it." She continued when she heard nothing.

A hand touched her shoulder, shocking her, right before she was about to turn around angrily to yell at him. She thought he was ignoring her, honestly. But he had moved from one end of the room to the other without making a single noise. He took one of her hands in his, and dropped something into her palm.

Sakura looked down and stared curiously at a tiny white ball that looked like a pill.

"Swallow it." He instructed simply, and she blinked.

"What... What is it?"

"It will keep you from getting pregnant."

"Oh..." Her face was utterly blank at first as she stared in wonder at the small object. She didn't know those things existed... It wasn't that much of a surprise to her, but still, it wasn't something she'd ever thought of before, for obvious reasons. She'd never needed to think about any form of birth control.

But then, as she felt him brush past her and open the door, she erupted. Finally, truly, seriously erupted.

"OH. Ok. I get it. So you do this on a regular basis, huh? You take girls back to your house and...and... _do stuff_  to them...and then when you're done, you just hand them a pill and kick them out like they're nothing? Really?! Is it that easy for you? Are you really that much of an...of an  _asshole_?"

His form went rigid in the door frame, and he listened to her rant while facing the bright hallway.

"Just how many girls have you done this to?! Do you have a  _stash_ of this crap in your room, or something?!" Sakura wasn't quite screaming, but her voice was loud enough to ring through most of the house, and when he stood there quietly without even facing her, she felt her anger boil over, and chucked the pill he had given her at the back of his head with a frustrated growl.

And then...instantly regretted it, as she realized what a stupid and pointless move that had been when it tumbled down his hair and disappeared under the back of his shirt. Her fists were clenched at her sides, wrinkling the obi in one hand as she breathed heavily and glared daggers at him. Her eyes twitched from the back of his head to his shirt, then to the floor, as she vaguely wondered where the pill had gone.

Part of her was rational enough to feel guilty at her own childish outburst, but she wouldn't apologize. She felt justified. How was he going to politely invite her—a girl he was barely acquainted with—in for tea while waiting for Sasuke to return, and then just accidentally screw her brains out  _twice_  without any sort of explanation, before sending her on her way? He had taken her virginity, for crying out loud. She might be young and naïve, but she wasn't so ignorant that she didn't know this wasn't the type of thing that just casually happened all the time.

Slowly, Itachi turned around and met her infuriated stare, unflinching. He took a single step into the room, and slid the door shut behind him, encasing them in darkness once more.

Sakura, though she wasn't exactly afraid of him hurting her, automatically took a single step backward to keep the same amount of space comfortably between them.

Itachi gave her a long, hard look for a minute, and then grabbed the hem of his shirt and flapped it lightly. Her eyes wandered all over him, before a barely audible  _click_  came from the floor. They both looked down, spying the pill at the same time as it rolled across the wood towards her.

Glancing up at him, and then down at the floor, and then up at him again...eventually, she bent to hastily retrieve it, before standing upright again and crossing her arms over her chest, trying not to seem at all embarrassed.

The next few seconds consisted of a staring contest between them, with Sakura stubbornly waiting for some sort of response from him, and Itachi...well...

"Swallow it." He instructed a second time, and watched her finally pop it into her mouth while refusing to let her glare falter...despite wanting to look away from him. It had been so much easier to yell at him while he wasn't looking at her. Ironic, since she'd been pissed at him for keeping his back to her for so long in the first place. Be careful what you wish for...

"They are my mother's pills." He answered her simply, as if she had merely asked him a question, rather than depreciate him with her assumptions. He wasn't mad, though. A little insulted, but not mad. Not that she'd be able to tell if he was, as he was known for having a very long fuse in most situations. But he knew better than to be angry at her for this. She didn't understand, and he hadn't offered her much dialogue. That was his fault, and he knew.

As predicted, her features changed subtly at this unexpected news, into something that was, well...to put it bluntly, it was an  _oh shit_  face. He wondered if she was aware of how visible her emotions were, or if they always showed reflexively without her knowledge. He was quite perceptive, yes, but she was also very easy to read, and so it didn't take much work on his part to figure her out.

"She doesn't want any more children. So, yes...there is a stash, but it's not mine." That limited information alone was more than he'd wanted to share, as he was not one to offer personal details about his family too often, but given the state of mind she was floundering in, he deemed it necessary to compromise a little.

Sakure was still angry, but now, she was just as confused. She couldn't say she particularly enjoyed being angry at him. Feeling like this tended to leave her with a headache, regardless of how the matter was resolved. But it was what she had felt he deserved. How could she feel any different? He was just about to walk away from her after everything that had happened.

His gaze was steady and indecipherable, and he didn't wait long for her to find something else to throw at him. He had seen this coming, honestly. He'd just made the mistake of selfishly hoping he wouldn't have to deal with it for a while...or ever. He was tired, he was busy, and though he'd made no mention of it his own feelings yet, this was confusing him a little, too. But now, it was time to face her.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

All signs of emotion drained from her face as she stared at him. That phrase had been the last thing she'd expected to hear. An apology? Really?

"This has...never happened before." He admitted slowly, choosing his words carefully as he thought. She was left hanging onto his every word was rapt attention, as if he were about to disclose the location to some secret treasure. All she had wanted were some answers to questions that had been driving her mad, and it looked like she was about to get them, finally.

"No, I don't normally bring girls back to my house...for any reason. Most of my time at home is spent eating or sleeping. I don't have enough spare time to indulge anyone else too often. Sasuke can attest to that, I am sure." If nothing else, he'd complain about how infrequently he gets to spar with him.

Sakura looked away from him as she slowly closed her yukata, feeling the first sign of regret as he went on.

"I didn't plan this any more than you did. It just happened." He paused after that, and watched her. Waiting for her to fire more questions. He wasn't about to ramble carelessly, unless she chose to pick his brain some more. And if she wanted to, she'd need to do it now, for she might not get another chance.

Sakura caught wind of this. Though she didn't know him very well, she could tell it wasn't common for him to open up. He was like Sasuke, in that respect.

"But...  _Why?_ " She asked, voice absent of nearly all her previous negativity.

"I don't get  _why_  it could just happen. It wasn't even once, it was twice. You can't say it just happened. Why did you...?"

"Why did you let me?" He turned the tables around on her, just like he'd done in the bathroom earlier.

Sakura glared at him suddenly, feeling he was simply evading her. But then, he answered for her...

"Because it felt good. It was fun. That's why you let me. And that's why I did it. I don't have a better answer than that. Do you?"

She continued to glare at him some more, flickering back and forth between his dark eyes, but eventually she lost her steam and sighed, looking away. He was right... And no, she couldn't actually think of a better answer. She was just unhappy with the fact that it didn't help her feel any less confused about everything.

"I just don't  _get_  you." She murmured after a minute of silence.

"My own father doesn't get me, Sakura. I wouldn't expect you to."

She paused at that, and fell quiet. Well...that changed things a little. This whole time she'd been thinking he was just keeping her in the dark because it was easy, and he didn't really care. But if his own family had trouble understanding him...she couldn't really take it personally anymore. And somehow, hearing this made her feel sad.

Sad for him, not for her.

Her hands smoothed out the winkled obi she'd been carelessly holding captive, looking for something to do as she contemplated. He remained in front of her, watching silently as she began wrapping it around her waist. Her mother usually helped her with it, especially because she had a hard time tying it in the back without it looking sloppy...but for now, her mediocre and crooked bow would have to suffice.

"So... It's...it's normal for you to just...do things like that? Just because you can, and it sounds fun, you're going to do it?" Brows knitting as she looked down at the floor, her hands smoothed over the front of her yukata, shifting everything in place and tugging her obi down a little.

"How old are you, Sakura?" He surprised her, and she looked up at him and blinked, saying in a small voice...

"Uhm.. 15."

Just as he'd thought.

"What kinds of missions have you been sent on?"

She stared at him curiously, clearly not getting where this was going.

"Well...uh... I've been on more D missions than I can count. A lot of C's, too. A few B's, a couple A's. I'm training to be a medic though, so I spend a lot of time at the hospital. Why...?" She watched him nod faintly, never taking his eyes off her.

"How many of your friends have died right in front of you?"

Her eyes widened, and she said nothing...too stunned to speak.

To him, that meant the answer was zero, and he let his eyes fall from hers, and trace over her clothes. He took a step forward, and then circled around her slowly, inspecting her as the solemn stillness crept in around them. When he was behind her, she didn't bother to turn and see what he was doing, but she soon felt gentle tugs at her back, as he took it upon himself to fix her bow.

"You and I see things very differently...because we've had different experiences..." His words were barely above a whisper, and his breath tickled the back of her neck.

"Sometimes I do things that don't always make sense to anyone else. And sometimes, they don't always make sense to me. But I've learned that not everything needs to make sense. I've learned to live in the moment, and to enjoy what I can, and who I can...while I can. And I think, Sakura, that sooner or later, you will understand why..."

"Don't patronize me." She insisted, though her voice was nearly as soft as his.

"I know what it is to be a shinobi. I know how quickly things can go wrong sometimes. I know about death and war. It's inevitable, and I chose this career with that understanding. So please... I'm not as ignorant as you think."

Itachi drifted in front of her, eyes still searching calmly for anything that needed to be adjusted. Then, his hands rose to her chest, and pulled together the flaps of fabric that shaped her sharp neckline. She had wrapped it the same way she had done this morning, leaving the V scooping far lower than it should have. Sakura looked up at him, holding still while he fussed over her. When he was satisfied with the results, he returned her gaze.

"You don't know death or war, Sakura. You think you do, because you've been familiarized with the concepts. You've heard others recant their stories, and you've been educated by your sensei. But you don't know the finality and pain that those things leave you with. Not until you have watched your own teammates fall around you—not until your own friend has died in your arms, will you  _know_."

Her face was devoid of emotion, strangely...she had no response. The air felt heavy, weighted with morbid implications and unspoken sorrows. None of which she had a proper grasp of, but she could feel them there. He had said enough to cease her argument.

"That is why I appreciate every moment...and that is why, sometimes, things just  _happen_."

When she did nothing but swallow quietly, he backed away from her, and turned to open the door. The bright light bathed her, illuminating the vibrant colors that composed her. He looked at her, secretly appreciating the bright green of her innocent eyes, the pastel pink of her hair, and the playful, feminine blue and yellow of her yukata. She truly was, in that moment, a beacon in the dark, with the shadows of the room lost behind her.

Sakura clasped her hands in front of her and looked down. She was still at a loss for words, yet she felt like there was also still so much she wanted to say. There was no time left though, was there... He had to go.

But when he turned and stepped out of the room, she found herself blurting something that her own brain barely had time to filter before it left her mouth...

"Are you like Sasuke?"

He stopped and glanced over his shoulder at her.

Sakura swallowed again, feeling like she'd accidentally tripped and stumbled under the limelight long before she was ready to be there.

"I mean... Are you going to...going to follow your family tradition? Marry into your clan and...do what everyone expects you to?" She fidgeted once she was done forcing the rest of her words out, surprised at herself, yet unable to do anything about it now. Why had she chosen to say that? Why now? She didn't know.

He was taken aback by her question, but the only indication was his hesitation as his eyes fell down and lost themselves in the nearly glowing flowers that shielded her legs.

"If I choose to marry an Uchiha, it will not be because it's expected of me." He murmured gently.

The subject of marriage wasn't something he easily talked about, not even with his own parents. She had no idea how rare it was for him to allow her even that little piece of truth...but in that moment, he saw no harming in tell her.

Sakura held the look of discomforted surprise on her face, though whether it was still directed at herself, or at the answer he had given her, was hard to distinguish. Either way, she decided the only thing left to do was to nod, and step out of the room and into the hall.

He shut the door behind her, and lead the way to the front door. The steps that followed him was sluggish. It was obvious she wasn't ready to go yet, despite how desperate she had been earlier to flee and never return. Crazy how fast things could change.

But...that's exactly what their whole day had been like. Crazy, fast, and full of change.

With a demeanor nothing short of sadness and regret, she found herself on the front porch in no time at all, slipping her shoes on her feet with downcast eyes. Itachi stood next to her, waiting patiently as he always did, and looked out at the houses across from them. The tilt of their shadows indicated it was already past noon.

Something dawned on her as she was about to take her first step down, and she gasped quietly.

"What if people see us leaving at the same time? Won't it look suspicious?!" Her hands flew to the sides of her head dramatically as she stared at him.

The smirk that appeared at the corner of his mouth left her bewildered.

"Sakura... Who cares?"

Then, her jaw nearly hit the floor.

"What do you mean who cares?! What if Sasuke finds out?!" She whispered sharply, before looking around quite paranoid. No one was paying them any mind yet, thankfully.

She saw him turning to face her from the corner of her eye, but didn't pay him any attention until she felt him grab her shoulders and twist her to look at him.

"If Sasuke finds out, it's not going to change anything between you two. He doesn't care about you. Not the way you want him to. And he probably never will. In fact, he will be become more of a problem for me than he will for you."

There he went saying those words she never wanted to hear again. Even the second time around, they were tough to endure, yet it vaguely occurred to her that she didn't feel like tearing up this time. In fact, she wouldn't even consider herself crushed, at this point.

"A problem for  _you_?" She snapped incredulously, only for him to nod in reassurance...but he didn't offer any further explanation. Instead, he left her with this...

"You deserve better, Sakura. Stop wasting your energy. You're stagnating in an obsession."

His hand drifted above her eyesight, leading her to believe he was going to pat her on the head...but then, he ruffled her hair in a noogie without warning.

"Ahh!" She yelped and immediately hopped away from him and stumbled off the porch, hands flying up to shield her head from him. Not that he could do much damage, as she still hadn't brushed her hair yet. She blinked dazedly at him while he smiled down at her. It was faint, but it was there, and it wasn't something she expected to see. A brief, mischievous smirk, sure... But a genuine smile? That was...weird.

Leaving the porch for the patchy sunlight that was steadily multiplying as the storm clouds dispersed, he took his time walking up to her. His face, however, melted back into a mysterious, blank mask, and when his shoulder brushed lightly against hers, leaving them standing side-by-side and facing opposite direction, he tilted his head slightly towards her ear.

"The next time you stop by for tea, please show up after eleven. I'd like more than three hours of sleep before entertaining you."

Sakura blushed instantly, missing the last smirk he gave her before he shifted past her and wandered off down the road, but certainly not missing the implication in his last words.

After a few seconds, she turned around...watching his casual gait disappear around a corner as he took a side street to an unknown training destination.

Dear Kami... She'd gotten some questions answered, that was for certain. In fact, she'd gotten more from him than she ever could have imagined. She just didn't realize that fully, because she still didn't know him as much as she should...and she definitely didn't know the way he interacted with his own family, who, although he was fiercely protective of and loyal to, didn't understand him as much as she assumed they did, either.

Itachi was an enigma. A beautiful, mysterious, elusive, wise, powerful enigma.

And she was a little girl in a dress, forever changed by a single encounter... She just didn't know that yet.


End file.
